Electric steam generator



May 11 1926.-

G. H. CROWELL ELECTRIC STEAM GENERATOR Filed April 15 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Dz. :jle eax'ge hf QPOWg/A May 11 192s. 1,583,961

, G. H. CROWELL ELECTRI C STEAM GENERATOR Filed April 15 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 5e orge ff. rwre/A ATTO EY.

Patented May 11, 1926.

UNITED STATES GEORGE CROWELL, OF-BERLIN, -1\TEW'- HAMPSHIRE:

ELECTRIC STEAM GENE'iiATfiRI My invei'ition has for its-obj eat to' provide a new apperatiis fer the generation 'of steam for heating Systems, etei, and it pertietihi i'iy has for its objeet'tq 161 bvicieafhe ttei'f-or Steam 5 geiieraterof a simple mid iiiex'p'ensive" e011- SillLlCtiO'lf in which" the parte" are self-cohtained-aiid of such design and aristngeiiient that the eiecti'ie'heater-unit will he immersed in the cohi'est part of the Water? all the water supplied ihsii-cha way-as to stiiioiiiid the peeking on the w ter supply 5 va lve jf the water Wili flow directly, fiom the'inlet chini her adjacent the iiiiet valve td th'eseetioii of thehoiising whichcohtain's the heatiifgunit, thus maintaining a fairly 10W a'n-d even tern"- eramre atf these two pieces o" as to' avoid burning of "thesetw'o 'pafts" (the inlet valve packing and the electric heating" coil) ensin ing lii'g'lifeto the Whb'le' app'arzitiis. Another object of my" iinventii'l isto pro vid'e a; Housing [of ap'firoxinietely L sh'ape with th'efsteam 'domeatfthe top ahct the heatingunitin the lwer herizontal seetiifi, the housing being L previd ect' with a globfilar chamber interm dfetely lea'te'd' end piei i'dedwitha detachable' hdrizental sectioii 001 stitutin'g the heat chahiberfahd' ater inlet contti chamber, makiiig it possible to have an extremely low Water" line; thus n'iakiiig'f it 11150 pessihle to usethe' apparattiefbr sterilizers, yuieanizers', preeein'g, labbratory Wei'k and all btherpurposesfor which steam is employed'where the generator i' onlapprexig. matelythesame f1eve1 and' aci'jzieeiilt t0 the machin'e'ifiwhieh the steam is used! Vith other objects in"view; the inyeritien iiichides thos'e 'neve'l" details of cii'stiruction, coifibiiiatien ail'd a'ritingeme it' oi" parts; all of Whi'Chwill be first fully described; then be pointed out in the' appended claims, and iihisti'ittechiii the accompanying drawing; in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of theinireit M ti'oi I Figure 2 is'ai'i end elevetien' f thesehie.

Figurefi is aviie ilarged' 'detziil bliti'fli we tieai 'lon'giti'idin'al 'section through the inlet va l'iffel' L Figtue iis a section on the" line of Figure 1 leoking in the dife'etiOhbfthafro'w,

In the chewing, i1iwhich likegnfumeraieef refereii'ce"indieate'like paints/in all hf the i ur'es; 1 repr se ts th'ejhousi n j Whi'ch'i's in the of hi1" L ehape body'hevifig en ttrged erml-nciinte tifii r'fitieai.

that is adapted to seat on the valve seat end 87 of the valve seat member 26 to shut off the inflow 01 water, it being understood that the cold water supply from a suitable source (not shown) is connectable to the nipple 31.7

The valve boc y 34: has an eye 38 into which the heel 39 of the float lever l0 pro jects, the lever being fulcrumec on a rod l1 suitably mounted in the housing extension 9, the float 4-2 of the float lever lying in the globular enlargement 2 of the housing.

In practical operation, the apparatus is set up in a vertical position on its feet with the water supply pipe connected from the source of supply to the nipple 31, and suitable circuit wires are connected to the terminals of the heating units 20 to energize the same, it being understood that any suitable switch ing device may be employed whereby one or more of the units may be brought into circuit as desired, but as such forms no part 01 the present invention a disclosure thereof is thought to be unnecessary. i l ater will flow through the water inlet valve up around the valve proper 34 and spill over the top of the valve casing 22, running down the bottom floor of the extension 9 until it engages the baflie 11 and passes through the duct 13 to the lower extension of the housing, where the electric heating units are located. When the water has reached its proper level the float 4:2, acting on the water inlet valve, Will close off the inflow of fresh water and when electric current is admitted to the heating units 20 the water is heated to the boiling point, generating steam which collects in the apparatus above the water line, and in the dome 3 ready for use. When the steam supply valve is opened and steam is being used if the condensate is not returned from the return pipe that is connected to the return inlet to compensate for loss of water, then the float 42 drops, opening the valve 34-, letting a very small quantity of water into the hollow arm which flows until it strikes the baffle 11, which directs it downthe pipe 13, maintaining a steady water level in the apparatus.

From the foregoing description it is thought the complete construction, opera tion and advantages of-the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art, It will also be seen that by my invention the expense of manufacture is reduced to the minimum and the parts can be readily assembled and disassembled tor the purpose of repair or cleaning, if desired.

lVhat I claim is:

1. in electric steam generators, a housing having an upright portion and an approximately horizontal base portion, said upright portion having a steam dome at the top and a float chamber below the dome, a supplemental housing portion projecting from the float chamber part of the upright portion, a water inlet valve within said supplemental housing, a float lever mounted in said supplemental housing or operating said valve and a float on said lever located within saidrfloat chamber, a return flow duct to said approximately horizontal base portion, a cold water duct from said supple mental housing to said return flow duct, substantially as shown and described.

2. in electric steam generators, a rousing having an upright portion and an approxi mately horizontal base portion, said up right portion having steam dome at the top and a float chamber below the dome, a supplemental housing portion projecting from the float chamber part of the upright portion, a water inlet valve within said supplemental housing, a float lever mounted in said supplemental housing for operating said valve and a float on said lever located within said float chamber, a return flow duct to said approximately horizontal base portion, a cold water duct from said supplemental housing to said return flow duct, and means for directing the water into said cold water duct.

8. In water heaters, an approximately L-shaped housing having a steam chamber at one end and a flanged opening at the other end, an electric heating body comprising a cap closing the flanged opening and carry ing heating elements projecting into the housing; said housing having an intermediate chamber with a flanged opening, a supplemental housing closing said last named flanged opening, a water inlet valve to said supplemental housing and a water transfer pipe from said supplemental housing to the bot-tom of said l. shaped housing, a float lever in said intermediate chamber and said supplemental chamber to operate said valve, said L-shaped chamber having a steam out let and a return flow inlet substantially shown and described.

In electric steam generators, a tubular approximately L-shaped housing having a vertical portion and a downwardly inclined approximately horizontal portion, a cap closing the end of said portion, electric heater elements carried by said cap and projected into said approximately horizontal portion, means maintaining said hous ing in position, a supplemental housing attached to said vertical portion and having a bottom inclined upwardly from said place of attachment, a water inlet at approximately the highest part in said supplemental housing, a float lever in said housings for op erating said valve, a water ductirom said supplemental housing adjacent said valve and leading to the lower end of said approximate ly horizontal portion of said L-shaped hous ing, said L-shaped housing having a steam outlet and a return flow inlet,

5. A steam generator comprising a tubu lar L-shaped body having a vertical portion, an approximately horizontal portion, a chambered body secured to said vertical portion intermediate the ends thereof and in communication at one end with the L- shaped body. said bodies being in communication directy one with the other, electric heating elements in the approximately horizontal portion 01 said l -shaped body, a fresh water inlet to such chambered body, a float controlled valve governing said inlet and means for directing and conveying the fresh water admitted to said chambered body downwardly to the outer end of said approximately horizontal portion of said L-shaped body, substantially as shown and described.

6. A steam generator coniprising' a tubular L-shaped body having an approximately horizontal base part, and means carried thereby for sustaining the body, an electric h eating unit mounted within the bottom part oi said L-shaped body, said L-shaped body having a steam dome at the top and a supplemental chambered body secured to the vertical part of said L-shaped body below the steam don'ie, float lever controlled water inlet valve in said supplemental chambered body, means for delivering water thereto, said float controlled valve including a tubular valve chamber projected into said suppleniental chambered body through which the incoming water overflows a duct from said snpplen'iental chambered body leading to the portion o'l said L-shaped body containing the heating elements, and a battle wall in said supplemental chambered body for directing the cold water to said duct, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE E. CRGWELL. 

